What analysis technique helps resolve ambiguities by confirming placement relative to terrestrial relatives?
Answer
Genomic and transcriptomic analyses
Modern molecular biology provides tools that offer unprecedented clarity regarding complex evolutionary relationships deep within the insect phylogeny. Specifically, genomic sequencing (examining the entire genome) and transcriptomic analysis (studying gene expression) are employed to resolve long-standing ambiguities. These high-resolution molecular data sets allow scientists to accurately confirm the placement of aquatic bug lineages relative to their closer, often terrestrial, relatives, providing a high-fidelity evolutionary map.
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